with. Very well: ours have been
tampered with too--Macintyre will have to see to that. While the old
chap was talking, the idea occurred to me that if I should persist in my
refusal, Captain Morillo might, in desperation, take it into his head to
send away a boat expedition to Mulata Bay; and, the people there being
of opinion that everything is all right, they may take matters prettily
easily, with the result that the boat expedition might possibly have
arrived in time to effect a seizure. Therefore while, for the sake of
effect, I pretended to be very unwilling to fall in with his
Excellency's views, I had decided that I would do so, almost as soon as
I saw what was coming. Now, my plan is this. We will take the Spanish
crowd aboard and run them down toward Mulata Bay, which will put an
effectual stopper upon any attempt to dispatch another expedition. But,
when we get down abreast of our destination, our engines will break
down, and instead of going into Mulata Bay, we shall go driving
helplessly away down to leeward before this fine, roaring trade wind;
and before we can get the ship again under command _the James B.
Potter_ will have discharged her cargo and got away again. And I reckon
upon our appearance off the place under the Spanish ensign and pennant
to give all concerned a hint as to the importance of `hustling' over
their job. Twiggez?"

"Je twig--I tumble!" answered Milsom. "And a very pretty scheme it is,
too, Jack--does you proud, old man; it ought to work like a charm. Now,
before the Spanish Johnnies come aboard, I'll just hunt up Macintyre,
and post him upon his share of the work, while you go and explain
matters to the Don and his family. Who-oop! It will be interesting to
observe the expression on the countenances of our Spanish friends when
our engines--tampered with by those pestilent revolutionaries--break
down!"

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

AN EXPEDITION THAT FAILED.

A few minutes sufficed Jack to explain the situation to the Montijo
family, to their mingled indignation and amusement; and he then
suggested that, as the yacht would possibly be rolling and tumbling
about somewhat unpleasantly in the heavy sea outside while in her
apparently helpless condition, the ladies might prefer to pass the night
ashore, in one of the Havana hotels. But neither of them would for a
moment listen to any such proposal: the Senora explained that she had
never yet been seasick, and did not propose to